Quantitative analysis of pre-S1 and pre-S2 in relation to HBsAg expression.
Sera from four patients with acute hepatitis B and 87 patients with chronic hepatitis B were examined quantitatively for pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens by solid-phase enzyme immunoassays. Pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens were detected in HBsAg-positive sera irrespective of the presence of viral replicative markers, and their titers correlated with those of HBsAg (r = 0.74, p less than 0.01; r = 0.74, p less than 0.01, respectively). Sera positive for HBeAg showed higher titers of pre-S1 (p less than 0.01) and pre-S2 (p less than 0.01) antigens than sera negative for HBeAg. The titers of pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens also correlated with the levels of HBV-associated DNA polymerase activity (r = 0.51, p less than 0.01; r = 0.59, p less than 0.01, respectively) and HBV-DNA (r = 0.50, p less than 0.01; r = 0.46, p less than 0.01, respectively). However, the ratios between the titers of pre-S antigens and HBsAg had no significant relationships with those viral replicative markers. These findings suggest that the expression of pre-S antigens is intimately related to the expression of HBsAg and that they are not useful as markers of viral replication. The ratios between the titers of pre-S antigens and HBsAg tended to be high in patients with chronic active hepatitis and high aminotransferase levels. This finding may have been due to the hepatic release of pre-S antigens, over-production of which may have some relationship to liver injury.
Yuki
N
N
First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Hayashi
N
N
Katayama
K
K
Kasahara
A
A
Ueda
K
K
Fusamoto
H
H
Sato
N
N
Kamada
T
T
D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004261:DNA Replication; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase